A recent sports article detailed the distraught Florida A&M University cheerleaders and money issues in the athletic department.
After FAMUAN reporters spoke with officials in the department last Monday, all were left confused. All of us thought, “Something isn’t right.”
Important people refused to make comments that could have been relevant to the story. Certain important athletic department officials were giving us facts that did not add up.
Erica Wilcox, athletic department business manager, told The FAMUAN she has no record of the cheerleading team receiving a budget for the 2007-2008 school year. But during a meeting with Athletic Director William Hayes, his administrative assistant Coretta Ellison presented a copy of the cheerleading team’s $12,000 budget.
However, when we requested a copy of the budget to keep for record, which by the way is public information, we were denied by Ellison. Meanwhile the cheerleading team’s captain told us the girls paid for almost everything including uniforms, socks and gym training, out of their pockets.
If a budget was received where is the money? Why did the team have to cover its own expenses?
Something fishy is going on, and we at The FAMUAN will investigate and get to the bottom of it.
Candice Montgomery for the Editorial Board.